Xi'an

Finally had a nice train ride for the first time since our ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang. The guys we shared the room with kept to themselves for most of the trip and we all slept pretty much the entire time. We arrived in Xi'an rested and quickly settled at a hostel just inide the Southern gate of the imperial wall. Judging by the room here, I think we're going to be living in relative luxury for the rest of our time in China. The rooms are a bit more expensive, but still less than you would pay for a Motel 6.Took us awhile to get out to town, but eventually we rented some bikes and pedaled out to brave the traffic. Actually, riding bicycles in China is much easier and safer than in the US. As we saw in Kunming, both sides of the road have large barrier protected lanes for bikers and pedestrians as well as bridges for crossing major streets. After a few kilometers of wading through the crowds, we arrived at the Shaanxi History Museum to pick up some background information about the area. One of the more organzined museums we've been and it had some good exhibits. Spent the rest of the day biking through town and we picked up our train tickets to Shanghai. I've discovered that the funniest joke in town is called "Hello, nee hao," but the punch line really only works if you're not Chinese. Simply say the words "nee hao" and watch the waves of laughter spread through the crowd.Today we took a day trip out to see the Terracotta Army. The shear number and size of the monument is impressive, but the detail is what really makes it truly overwhelming. Each life sized warrior, for example, has a different face, carried real weapons, were colorfully painted, and wore custom made leather suits. There are also several chariots and horses in the pit. Several hundred 2,200 years old soldiers are currently visible and it's only partially excavated. Three pits have been found and only Pit 1 is mostly revealed. Along with the buried army, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb is yet to be unconvered. According to Sima Qian's Historical Records, 700,000 labourers spent 36 years creating an imperial city below ground that included a river of mercury (including machinery to make the liquid flow), automatic crossbow defense mechanisms, and a bronze floor. This guy knew how to party and he kept it secret by having all the workers executed. Smooth.